In the last two decades, coastal regions have relatively endured some of
the fiercest oceanic and geophysical disasters than the earlier decades.
Yet, disaster management governance fails to match the human, nonhuman
and environmental calamity which is unfolding in its most frequent and
unpredictable pattern. Between the Asian Tsunami of 2004 to the
devastating Chennai and Kerala floods of 2018 the
socio-industrial-livelihood impact alerts governments towards a greater
and more serious compliance to laws for coastal conservation. The United
Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in 2018 had shocking
statistics to share as the deaths and damages related to only Tsunami
disaster at the coasts to 251,770 and US$280 billions respectively in
the last 20 years (1998-2017) as compared to 998 and US$ 2.7 billion in
the previous 20 years (1978-1997). Coastal conservation is no more a
question of casual governance but has become a need for survival. The
region of South Asia which ranks much higher in its vulnerability, weak
resilience and relatively undersupplied governance structures ought to
take this responsibility on a priority. The spirit of Hyogu Declaration
and the Sendai Framework for Action suggests preparedness and resilience
building as key approach areas in coastal governance.
The book is incomparable in its holistic and transdisciplinary social
science based approach to disaster management which links conservation
of marine flora and fauna, ecosystems and land management with decision
making processes and coastal regulations. These grass root findings from
the subcontinent are substantiated by a section on the most powerful
court battle on the Kerala Floods as a guideline for readers to
discerningly identify an 'Act of God' often used as a veil to hide lack
of preparedness, apathy and political greed. This book becomes
indispensable reading for anyone involved in research, administration or
any level of decision making for the mitigation and prevention of
disasters.
